Contents

History

A direct counterpart to the Generation I trio, the beasts find their master in Ho-Oh, who revived them when Ecruteak City's Brass Tower burned. They are said to embody the three events that happened to the tower: the lightning that struck the tower, the fire that burned in the tower, and the winds and rain that put it out. It is unknown whether these three were already a Suicune, Raikou, and Entei before they were revived, or whether Ho-oh actually reincarnated them from three non-legendary Pokémon. It is speculated, however, that the three that Ho-Oh created are not the only members of their respective species, but rather, are the original individuals that gave rise to their entire populations. In Celebi: Voice of the Forest, Professor Oak speaks about the Suicune in question as if the Pokémon was only part of a species. Pokédex entries also state that an Entei is born every time a volcano erupts, which clashes with the myth that Entei's roar can cause volcanoes to erupt. In Pokémon Ranger, an Entei statue was brought to life when the player completes all four challenges of the Jungle Relic. It was later captured by Gordor, along with the other two beasts, showing that Fiore might have its own trio of beasts. In Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, the legendary beasts play an important role in the game's progress as well.

Trivia

Many refer to them as legendary cats or legendary dogs, depending on if they personally see feline or canine features in the individual Pokémon. However, they are more likely based on many different creatures and mythological deities, such as Raijū, the Chinese guardian lions, and the qilin. On top of that, they also seem to have been stylized to fit the classic idea of three jungle cats or jungle beasts-- the tiger, lion, and cheetah (or leopard).

The legendary beasts are the first legendary Pokémon to get a special battle theme. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, each legendary beast was given their own remixed version of the original legendary beast music from Generation II. The three songs are similar, but use different instruments: Suicune's uses bells, Entei's uses an electric guitar, and Raikou's uses synthesized music.

A representation of the legendary beasts was used as the set symbol for the Neo Revelation card expansion.